Report of the Secretary-General's Task Force on Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa

The great majority of young people aged 15-24 living with AIDS in Southern Africa are female. This report documents the realities of life for the thousands of women and girls living there who struggle to keep their families together and care for the sick as the pandemic continues to devastate their lives and economies. It calls for an end to the pervasive gender inequality that is key to propelling the spread of HIV among women. The report presents valuable empirical data on the scale and character of the pandemic in the nine countries in Southern Africa with the highest HIV prevalence rates, identifying six areas where urgent intervention is needed and calling for a shift in how women are perceived and treated.